Centrifugal Expanders And Compressors Each Using Rotors In Both Flow Going From Periphery To Center And Flow Going From Center To Periphery Their Use In Engines Both External Heat And Internal Combustion. Means to convert radial inward flow to radial outward flow with less eddy currents

Abstract

An engine feeds, at either the periphery or the center of one of the pumps, either compressed then heated air or products of combustion into centrifugal expanders in series. This invention is also a set of related inventions, comprising a group of flow guides to convert radial flow to axial flow and a group to convert axial flow to radial flow and the combination of those flow guides. The invention also includes the use of combinations of centrifugal pumps used to form a multistage compressor or a multistage expander with at least one pump processing a flow of gas traveling from the vicinity of the axle toward the periphery of the pump and with at least one other pump processing the same flow of gas traveling from the periphery of this other pump toward the axle of this other pump. The invention also includes the use of either the above centrifugal multistage expander or the above centrifugal multistage compressor, or both, in an external heat engine or in a heat pump.

1 - 24 . (canceled) 
     
     
         25 . A multistage centrifugal expander comprising at least one set of successive centrifugal pumps used as expanders,
 much of the output flow from the first member of said set eventually flowing into the second member of said set, each member of said set sending at least some of its output flow eventually into its successor until the last in the succession,   at least one pump of said set of successive centrifugal pumps being called a centripetal stage because it has the majority of its flow traveling within it spiraling inward from nearer the periphery to nearer the axis of rotation of the rotor of the said one pump of said set,   means to cause the angular velocity around said axis of rotation of substantially all of said flow entering from outside the space swept by said rotor to be in the same direction, the two directions being clockwise and counter-clockwise, as the angular velocity of said rotor, the two angular velocities being each of substantial magnitude,   at least one other pump of said set of successive centrifugal pumps being called a centrifugal stage because it has the majority of its flow traveling within it spiraling outward from nearer the axis of rotation of the rotor of this other pump to nearer the periphery of this other pump,   said other pump causing the angular velocity of most of said flow around said axis of rotation of said other pump in the vicinity of but barely outside the space swept by said rotor of said other pump to be in the opposite direction, with respect to the angular velocity of its rotor vanes, the two directions being clockwise and counter-clockwise, the two angular velocities for flow and for rotor vanes respectively each being of substantial magnitude and each being around said axis of rotation, but as stated above in opposite directions.   
     
     
         26 . The multistage centrifugal expander of  claim 25  wherein a centrifugal stage having the majority of its flow spiraling outward is followed by a centripetal stage having a smaller diameter rotor than that of the centrifugal stage and wherein that centripetal stage is followed by another centrifugal stage having a larger diameter rotor than that of the centripetal stage. 
     
     
         27 . The multistage centrifugal expander of  claim 25  wherein the rotor of said at least one pump and the rotor of said at least one other pump are on the same axle. 
     
     
         28 . The multistage centrifugal expander of  claim 25  wherein the rotor of said at least one pump rotates on a different axis from that of said other pump. 
     
     
         29 . The multistage centrifugal expander of  claim 25  wherein the expander is used to convert heat energy into mechanical motion energy using the expansion of a hot gas. 
     
     
         30 . The multistage centrifugal expander of  claim 25  comprising a
 means to mitigate the loss of velocity of the flow while in the rotor of said at least one pump, which pump has the majority of its flow spiraling inward, with respect to the loss which would happen if the same size and shape rotor as the one in the immediately prior stage pump were used. 
 
     
     
         31 . The multistage centrifugal expander of  claim 30  wherein said means to mitigate is the use of a rotor having a smaller diameter in said at least one pump. 
     
     
         32 . The multistage centrifugal expander of  claim 30  wherein said means to mitigate is the use of a rotor having a blade width that varies as distance from the axis of rotation varies in said at least one pump. 
     
     
         33 . A multistage centrifugal compressor comprising a set of successive centrifugal pumps used as compressors,
 much of the output flow from the first member of said set eventually flowing into the second member of said set, each member of said set sending at least some of its output flow eventually into its successor until the last in the succession,   at least one pump of said set of successive centrifugal pumps being called a centripetal stage because it has the majority of its flow traveling within it spiraling inward from nearer the periphery to nearer the axis of rotation of the rotor of the said one pump of said set,   means to cause the angular velocity around said axis of rotation of substantially all of said flow entering from outside the space swept by said rotor to be in the opposite direction, the two directions being clockwise and counter-clockwise, from the angular velocity of said rotor, the two angular velocities being each of substantial magnitude,   at least one other pump of said set of successive centrifugal pumps being called a centrifugal stage because it has the majority of its flow traveling within it spiraling outward from nearer the axis of rotation of the rotor of this other pump to nearer the periphery of this other pump,   said other pump causing the angular velocity of most of said flow around said axis of rotation of said other pump in the vicinity of but barely outside the space swept by said rotor of said other pump to be in the same direction with respect to the angular velocity of its rotor vanes, the two directions being clockwise and counter-clockwise, the two angular velocities for flow and for rotor vanes respectively each being of substantial magnitude and each being around said axis of rotation but as stated above they are in the same direction.   
     
     
         34 . The multistage centrifugal compressor of  claim 33  wherein the rotor of said at least one pump and the rotor of said at least one other pump are on the same axle. 
     
     
         35 . The multistage centrifugal compressor of  claim 33  wherein the rotor of said at least one pump rotates on a different axis from that of said other pump. 
     
     
         36 . The multistage centrifugal compressor of  claim 33  wherein the compressor is used in a device to convert heat energy into mechanical motion energy using the expansion of a hot gas. 
     
     
         37 . The multistage centrifugal compressor of  claim 33  comprising a means to mitigate the loss of velocity of the flow while in the rotor of said at least one pump, which pump has the majority of its flow spiraling inward, with respect to the loss which would happen if the same size and shape rotor as the one in the immediately prior stage pump were used. 
     
     
         38 . The multistage centrifugal compressor of  claim 33  wherein a centrifugal stage having the majority of its flow spiraling outward is followed by a centripetal stage having a smaller diameter rotor than that of the centrifugal stage and wherein that centripetal stage is followed by another centrifugal stage having a larger diameter rotor than that of the centripetal stage. 
     
     
         39 . An engine used to convert heat energy into mechanical motion energy using the expansion of a hot gas said engine comprising
 a multistage centrifugal expander and further comprising   a means to introduce hot gas into the expander, the hot gas being under pressure, the introduced gas leaving the engine after passing through the expander.   
     
     
         40 . The engine of  claim 39  wherein said hot gas under pressure is produced by combustion. 
     
     
         41 . The engine of  claim 39  wherein the hot gas under pressure is produced by using a heat exchanger deriving the heat from an external source, for example solar heating. 
     
     
         42 . The engine of  claim 39  wherein hot gas under pressure is introduced into said multistage centrifugal expander from outside the multistage expander at a place nearer the axle of an expander pump than the periphery of that expander pump. 
     
     
         43 . The engine of  claim 39  wherein hot gas under pressure is introduced into said multistage centrifugal expander from outside the expander at a place nearer the periphery of an expander pump than the axle of that expander pump. 
     
     
         44 . A device to convert between heat energy and motion energy, examples of which would be a heat pump and an engine, comprising
 a multistage centrifugal expander said expander comprising at least one set of successive centrifugal pumps used as expanders,   much of the output flow from the first member of said set eventually flowing into the second member of said set, each member of said set sending at least some of its output flow eventually into its successor until the last in the succession,   at least one pump of said set of successive centrifugal pumps being called a centripetal stage because it has the majority of its flow traveling within it spiraling inward from nearer the periphery to nearer the axis of rotation of the rotor of the said one pump of said set,   means to cause the angular velocity around said axis of rotation of substantially all of said flow entering from outside the space swept by said rotor to be in the same direction,   the two directions being clockwise and counter-clockwise, as the angular velocity of said rotor, the two angular velocities being each of substantial magnitude,   at least one other pump of said set of successive centrifugal pumps being called a centrifugal stage because it has the majority of its flow traveling within it spiraling outward from nearer the axis of rotation of the rotor of this other pump to nearer the periphery of this other pump,   said other pump causing the angular velocity of most of said flow around said axis of rotation of said other pump in the vicinity of but barely outside the space swept by said rotor of said other pump to be in the opposite direction, with respect to the angular velocity of its rotor vanes, the two directions being clockwise and counter-clockwise, the two angular velocities for flow and for rotor vanes respectively each being of substantial magnitude and each being around said axis of rotation, but as stated above in opposite directions,   said device further comprising a multistage centrifugal compressor.   
     
     
         45 . The device of  claim 44  wherein the rotors of said set of successive centrifugal pumps used as expanders and the rotors of said multistage centrifugal compressor are all surrounded by the flow of gas within the device, said flow being unidirectional and all parts of the flow communicating with each other, possibly using a route of communication going through at least one centrifugal pump. 
     
     
         46 . A device to convert between heat energy and motion energy, examples of which would be a heat pump and an engine, comprising
 a multistage centrifugal compressor comprising a set of successive centrifugal pumps used as compressors,   much of the output flow from the first member of said set eventually lowing into the second member of said set, each member of said set sending at least some of its output flow eventually into its successor until the last in the succession,   at least one pump of said set of successive centrifugal pumps being called a centripetal stage because it has the majority of its flow traveling within it spiraling inward from nearer the periphery to nearer the axis of rotation of the rotor of the said one pump of said set,   means to cause the angular velocity around said axis of rotation of most of said flow entering from outside the space swept by said rotor to be in the opposite direction, the two directions being clockwise and counter-clockwise, from the angular velocity of said rotor, the two angular velocities being each of substantial magnitude,   at least one other pump of said set of successive centrifugal pumps being called a centrifugal stage because it has the majority of its flow traveling within it spiraling outward from nearer the axis of rotation of the rotor of this other pump to nearer the periphery of this other pump,   said other pump causing the angular velocity of most of said flow around said axis of rotation of said other pump in the vicinity of but barely outside the space swept by said rotor of said other pump to be in the same direction with respect to the angular velocity of its rotor vanes, the two directions being clockwise and counter-clockwise, the two angular velocities for flow and for rotor vanes respectively each being of substantial magnitude and each being around said axis of rotation but as stated above they are in the same direction,   said device further comprising a multistage centrifugal expander,   much of the output from said multistage centrifugal compressor eventually going into said multistage centrifugal expander.   
     
     
         47 . The device of  claim 46  wherein the rotors of said set of successive centrifugal pumps used as compressors are on the same axle. 
     
     
         48 . The device of  claim 47  wherein the rotors of said set of centrifugal pumps used as compressors and the rotors of said multistage centrifugal expander are all surrounded by the flow of gas within the device, said flow being unidirectional and all parts of the flow communicating with each other, possibly using a route of communication going through at least one centrifugal pump,
 much of the output from said multistage centrifugal expander eventually going into said multistage centrifugal compressor.